Diagram board



March 30, 1943. R HARRlNGTON 2,315,420

DIAGRAM BOARD Filed April 25, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l March 30, 1943, HARRINGTON Q 2,315,420

DIAGRAM BOARD Filed April 25, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 30, 1943 DIAGRAM BOARD James R. Harrington, Mansfield, Ohlo, assignmto The Autocall Company, Shelby, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application April 25, 1940, Serial No. 331,606

11 Claims.

The present invention relates to diagram boards adapted primarily for the building up of boards are often called dispatcher's boards, being usually located in a centralized load dispatching or power directing office for the purpose of indicating to the dispatcher the condition of distribution circuits, equipment, etc.

It is important that such boards be flexibl in the sense of facilitating easy, quick shifting of the di-agrm or changing of symbols in order to meet system changes and the like. This desired flexibility is attained inmy improved board by making up the entire front surface thereof from small rectangular escutcheon plates which ,are all of the same size and are all interchangeable to different positions on the board.

One of the principal features of the invention has reference to an improved form of support structure for the escutcheons, and to an improved manner of securing the escutcheons to that support structure. The support structure is made up of long. thin rectangular bars which preferably extend vertically the height of the board in closely spaced parallel relation with their front and rear edges constituting the front and rear supporting surfaces of the board. The escutcheon are mounted against the front edges of said bars, and the attaching means for said escutcheons extend rearwardly through the slot-like areas between the bars. My improved attaching devices for the escutcheons do not require any tapped holes or other special formations in the support bars but, instead, operate on the theory of exerting a frictional clamping pressure against said bars. This frictional clamping pressure is effective at any point that the attaching devices may be disposed along the bars. The clamping pressure is exerted by a clamping bar or clip which is individual to each escutcheon and which extends straddle-wise across the rear edges of the support bars. A single clamping screw extends from each escutcheon rearwardly through the slot-lik space between the support bars and threads through a tapped opening in said, clamping bar, whereby the shifting or substituting of any desired escutcheon can be quickly and easily accomplished by the mere release and engagement of this screw and clamping bar. Each clamping bar assumes a diagonal straddling position across the rear edges of adjacent support bars so as to prevent interference between the ends of adjacent, side by side, clamping bars. When the complete assembly of escutcheons and clamping bars is in place on the supporting bars, these parts all cooperate in creating a substantially rigid, self-sustaining structure, the escutcheon plates and clamping clips serving to rigidly join all of the supporting bars both vertically and horizontally.

Another feature of the invention is the provision of improved signal escutcheons arranged to have electrical connection with the distribution system, or with the supervisory control system, or with various units of the apparatus. These si nal escutcheons comprise electrically responsive devices, preferably in the form of signal lights. adapted to be energized to show the existence of different conditions on the system. It is desirable that these signal escutcheons be capabl of being shifted to different points of the diagram board, or be capable of being introduced at any desired points in the board, with substantially the same ease and facility as the other escutcheons. This is attained in my improved construction by an improved separable relation of lamp support and escutcheon plate in each signal unit, whereby any one of these signal units can be shifted to other parts of the board without the necessity of drawing the lamp supporting portion of the unit forwardly through the board, and without the necessity of unsoldering and resoldering any of the connecting wires when making such a shift from one part of the board to another.

Another feature of my invention is that it can be erected to present a curved front, as for example where the board is of a long span and it is desired to erect the board with a concave front surface to enable the dispatcher to see all portions of the diagram from his desk to better advantage.

Other features, objects; and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed description of one preferred embodiment thereof. In the accompanying drawings illustrating such embodiment:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view illustrating a portion of a diagram board embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a detail front elevational view showing a portion of the board on a larger scale.

Figure 3 is a front perspective view showing the manner in which the escutcheons engage against the front edges of the supporting bars.

Figure 4 is a rear elevational view showing the diagonal straddling positions of the clamping bars or clips which engage against the rear edges of the supporting bars.

Figures 5 and 6 are transverse sectional views taken approximately on the planes of the lines 55 and 6-6 of Figure-i.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view through the diagram board, showing one of the signal units;

Figure 8 is a side elevational view of one of these signal units;

Figure 9 is a perspective view of one of the escutcheon plates as viewed from the rear;

Figure 10 is a similar view of one of the clamping bars or yokes;

Figure 11 is a front elevational view of a form of escutcheon unit having a movable switch symbol;

Figure 12 is a transverse sectional view through the latter form of unit; and

Figure 13 is a horizontal sectional view for the purpose of illustrating how the diagram board can be erected with a curved front.

The supporting structure of the diagram board comprises a series of vertical supporting bars [2 arranged in evenly spaced relation across the span of the board. The vertical disposal of the supporting bars I2 is preferable, although the arrangement might be modified by extending all of these bars horizontally. It will be noted from Figure 3 that thesebars are preferably of long, narrow, rectangular cross section, disposed to present their edges at the front and rear sides of the board. The entire front surface of the diagram board is made up of the escutcheons l4, consisting of relatively small metallic plates, preferably rectangular in shape. All escutcheon plates are of the same size so as to be interchangeable over the entire surface of the board, these escutcheon plates carrying all the symbols, indicating lamps, etc., which go to make up the diagram. The assembly comprising the supporting bars i2 and escutcheons l4 may be set into an open-front cabinet, or may have its edges faced with a suitable trim, as desired, such cabinet structure or trim being indicated at [6, IS in Figure 1.

The escutcheon plates 14 are all preferably of square outline, and the two vertical edges of each escutcheon plate are grooved or scarfed to have a lap fit over the front edges of the support bars 12. More particularly, this construction consists of a right angle groove or notch i8 extending down along the vertical edge of each escutcheon plate at the rear surface of the plate, thereby forming a side shoulder 20 at each side edge of each plate for abutment against the side surfaces of the adjacent support bars [2, and also forming laterally projecting front flanges 22 adapted to overlie the front edges of the support bars I2, see Figure 9. As clearly shown in Figures 5 and 6, the front flanges 22 of laterally adjoining escutcheons are in abutment, or proximate abutment, across the front edges of the intervening support bars l2, and hence they result in a continuous, uniform front surface in the horizontal dimension of the diagram board. The top and bottom edges of all of the escutcheons have direct edge-to-edge abutment for producing a continuous uniform surface in the vertical dimension of the board. Each escutcheon has a central hole 24 extending therethrough for receiving the individual clamping screw 26. The rear surface of each escutcheon is also formed with a. plurality of knock-outs 28, there preferably being four of these knock-out areas, spaced uniformly about the central opening 24. These knock-outs are similar to those formed in electrical conduit boxes, etc., consisting of dling of the parts.

very thin walls of metal which can be easily punched out of the circular openings. In this manner, any escutcheon plate can be adapted to the mounting of indicator lamps, by merely punching out the appropriate number of knockouts from that escutcheon. I find it advantageous practice to construct the escutcheon plates I4 as die castings.

The screw 26 of each escutcheon is formed with a shouldered flat head which is adapted to seat in a counterbore formed in the outer end of the central opening 24, the outer surface of the screw head being disposed flush with the outer surface of the escutcheon plate. The threaded rear end of the screw threads through a tapped hole 22 formed in the center of the rear clamping member 30. Each of these clamping members preferably consists of a yokeshaped stamping having outwardly offset or stepped portions 34 at its ends adapted to seat on the rear edges of the support bars 12. As best shown in Figure 4, these stepped seating portions 34 are formed at an oblique angle relatively to the length of the yoke, both seating portions being at thesame angle. This enables all of the yokes to be seated on the support bars in the diagonal positions shown, whereby there is no interference or overlapping at the ends of laterally adjacent yokes, and whereby any desired escutcheon and its respective yoke can be quickly released without preliminarily requiring release of any adjacent escutcheon and yoke. As best shown in Figures 5, 6 and 10, the formation of the outwardly stepped seating portions 34 results in inner lateral shoulders 36 which abut against the inner side surfaces of the supporting bars l2. Furthermore, the tip extremities of the yokes are bent forwardly to form outer or companion lateral shoulders 31 which abut against the opposite side surfaces of the supporting bars. Thus, each yoke is held against rotation in either direction by the engagement of the inner and outer lateral shoulders 26 and 31 with the side surfaces of the supporting bars, thereby facilitating the operation of threading the clamping screw 28 into or out of said yoke. The escutcheon plates and clamping yokes are capable of being passed from front to back or back to front of the board, through the small square openings to be thereafter covered by the escutcheon plates, this often facilitating han- Each of the clamping screws is formed with a tapered point 21 to facilitate centering the screw in the tapped hole 32 in the clamp.

Referring now to the improved signal escutcheons which carry the signal lamps, these comprise escutcheon plates l4a which are identical with the other escutcheon plates [4 except that the knock-outs 28 have been punched therefrom. Seated in the knock-out openings are bezels or other similar mounting tubes 40. which support colored glasses 42. Any color arrangement may be employed, as desired; for example, in a four lamp unit one glass may be red, another green, and directly below each of these two may be a white glass. The lamps 44 are carried in a multiple lamp jack or mounting 46 which is separable from the escutcheon plate a, but which is adapted to have connection with said plate through the clamping screw 26 for exerting a clamping pressure against the rear edges of the support bars II, in substantially the same manner as described above in connection with the clamping yokes III. Each such jack or lamp a wedge-shaped forward portion 50 which has a tapped central hole 52 therein for receiving the end of the clamping screw 26. The vertical side edges of the wedge-shaped forward portion 50 have right-angle grooves or recesses 54 formed therein for seating against the rear edges of the supporting bars l2. Four lamp sockets are carried by the supporting plate 48, each socket consisting of a pair of spring clips 56 and 58 spaced from each other by the insulating spacers 80 and spaced from the supporting plate 4! by the insulation 62. The mounting screws 8|. pass all the way through the upper and lower pairs of clips 5658 and through'the mounting plate 48, being insulated from the clips and from the mounting plates. fiber or like material insulate each lamp socket from the laterally adjacent socket. The inner ends of the lamps are provided with diametrically opposite contacts which have slidable mounting between their respective contact clips 56-58, and the outer ends of the lamps extend into the bezel rings 40 when the escutcheon plate and lamp mounting are assembled together. It will be seen from the foregoing that each lamp unit is mounted on the diagram board in substantially the same manner as the other escutcheon plates l4 and their clamping yokes 30, i. e., the escutcheon plate Ida is brought up against the front edges of the supporting bars l2, and the lamp jack is brought up against the rear edges of said supporting bars, whereupon, these two parts are rigidly clamped together by the screw 26 acting to draw the escutcheon plate rearwardly and acting to draw the lamp Jack forwardly. It will be noted from Figure 4 that the seating grooves 54 in the side edges of the lamp mounting engage the rear edges of the supporting rails l2 at points between adjacent clamping yokes 30, thereby avoiding interference therewith. When it is desired to remove one of these lamp units, either for shifting or substituting, the ..release of the screw 26 enables the escutcheon plate I 4a to be removed forwardly and enables the lamp jack 46 to be removed rearwardly thereby avoiding any necessity of withdrawing the lamp jack forwardly through the board, and also avoiding the necessity of unsoldering and resoldering any of the electric wires which are connected with the clips 56-58.

Figures 11 and 12 show another construction of escutcheon Mb which carries a switch symbol which is manually movable between open and closed positions. This switch symbol is in the form of an arm Ill which is secured to a pintle 12 that can turn and slide within a bushing 14 carried by the escutcheon plate. This bushing may be formed integral with the escutcheon, or it may consist of a sleeve or simply a plain bore extending through the standard escutcheon at a point between knock-out depressions 28. A compression spring 16 is. confined between the bushing 14 and a head 18 on the rear end of the pintle, this spring frictionally holding the switch symbol 10 in either position to which it may be moved. While I have illustrated the switch symbol as being adapted for manual shifting to one position or the other, it will be understood that such shifting might be effected electrically.

One group of escutcheons, which may be termed filler escutcheons, are employed for filling in the plain background of the diagram board. Another group of escutcheons, which may be Shields 66 composed of sheet termed symbol escutcheons, are employed for making up thmdiagram, such group including the lamp indicator escutcheons Ila and the movable switch escutcheons Mb. Also included in the latter group is a wide variety of escutcheons painted or otherwise marked to denoteconductors C, switches 8, transformers I, etc. All of the escutcheons are painted with the same background color, which may beeither green, blue, or any other desired color, and the symbols are painted thereon with a sharply contrasting color. All of the symbols are preferably of the type suitable for making up so-called single-line diagrams.

When all of the escutcheon plates are clamped to the vertical supporting rails l2, they rigidly bind these rails together against relative movement either vertically or horizontally, or fore and aft. Thus, the resulting structure is self-supporting and does not require any secondary'on reenforcing frame members. It should also be noted that by virtue of this characteristic, the board can be assembled to present a curved front surface, as for example a concave front surface, so as to enable the dispatcher to see all portions of the diagram from his desk to better advantage. Such concave front surface is illustrated in Figure 13, and is obtained by merely setting the ver tical supporting rails I2 into proper positions to define a curve, before the escutcheons and clamping yokes are tightened up in clamping engagement therewith. The curve will usually be very gradual, and there is ample latitude in the fit of the parts to accommodate such curved assembly.

While I have illustrated and described what I regard to be the preferred embodiment of my invention, nevertheless it will be understood that such is merely exemplary and that numerous modifications and rearrangements may be made therein without departing from the essence of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a diagram board, the combination of a plurality of spaced supporting bars, a plurality of escutcheons for interchangeable mounting on the front surfaces of said supporting bars, and clampin means engaging the rear surfaces of said supporting bars for clamping said escutcheons to said supporting bars, said clamping means comprising shoulders for preventing relative movement of the rear edges of the supporting bars engaged thereby.

2. In a diagram board, the combination of a plurality of spaced supporting bars, a plurality of escutcheons for interchangeable mounting on the front surfaces of said supporting bars, shoulders on said escutcheons for preventing relative movement of the front edges of the supportin bars engaged thereby, an clamping means engaging the rear surfaces of said supporting bars for clamping said escutcheons to said supporting bars, said clamping means comprising shoulders for preventing relative movement of the rear edges of the supporting bars engaged thereby.

3. In a diagram board, the combination of a plurality of spaced supporting bars, a plurality of escutcheons for interchangeable mounting on the front surfaces of said supporting bars, clamping yokes individual to said escutcheons for engaging the back surfaces of said supporting bars, screws for drawing said escutcheons and clamping yokes toward each other, and shoulders on said clamping yokes for preventing relative movement of the supporting bars engaged thereby.

4! In a diagram board, the combination of a plurality of spaced supporting bars, a signal unit for mounting thereon comprising an escutcheon and a cooperating lamp support, said escutcheon being mounted on said supporting bars from the front, and said lamp support being mounted on said supporting bars from the rear, and screw means extending between said supporting bars for drawing said escutcheon and said lamp support into clamping engagement with said supporting bars, said escutcheon and lamp support engaging adjacent supportin bars and restraining them against lateral'displacement toward each other.

5. In a diagram board, the combination of a plurality of space supporting bars, a signal unit for mounting thereon comprising an escutcheon and a cooperating lamp support, said escutcheon being mounted on said bars from the front and said lamp support being mounted on said bars from the rear, said escutcheon being originally formed with a knock-out which is punched therefrom to form an opening, a glass mounted therein, said lamp support comprising a lamp socket which mounts a lamp in registry with said glass,

shoulders on said escutcheon adapted to engage i front edges of said supporting bars, shoulders on said lamp support adapted to engage rear edges of said supporting bars, and a clamping cre'w extending between said escutcheon and said lamp support and operable from the front side of said escutcheon to draw said escutcheon and lamp support toward each other for clamping engagement against said supporting bars, the shoulders on said escutcheon and on said lamp support engaging adjacent supporting bars and restraining them against lateral displacement toward each other.

6. In a diagram board, the combination of a plurality of supportin bars, a plurality of escutcheons for mounting thereon, clamping mem bers individual to said escutcheons for securin said escutcheons to sai supporting bars, and means cooperating with said escutcheons and clamping members for bringing them into clamping engagement with said supporting bars, said clamping members in clamped position being diagonally disposed across adjacent supporting bars.

7. In a diagram board, the combination of a plurality of supporting bars, a plurality of escutcheons for mounting on the front surfaces of said supporting bars, said escutcheons being. aligned in rows transverse to said supporting bars an positioned over spaces between adjacent supporting bars and thereby being in laterally juxtaposed positions, yokes individual to said escutcheons for securing said escutcheons to said supporting bars, and means cooperating with said escutcheons and yokes for bringing them into clamping engagement with said supporting bars, said yokes in clamped position being diagonally disposed across adjacent supporting bars to avoid interference between'laterally adjacent yokes.

8. In a diagram board, the combination of a plurality of spaced supporting bars, a. plurality of escutcheons for mounting on the front surfaces of said supporting bars, said escutcheons being aligned in rows extending across the front surfaces of said supporting bars, yokes individual to said escutcheons for securing said escutcheons to said supporting bars, and means cooperating with said escutcheons and yokes for bringing them into clamping engagement with said supporting bars,

. said yokes in clamped position being diagonally disposed across adjacent supporting bars to avoid interference between laterally adjacent yokes, and said'yokes having faces engaging the side surfaces of said supporting bars for restraining said supporting bars against lateral displacement.

9. In a diagram board the combination of a plurality of spaced supporting bars, a plurality of escutcheons for mounting on the front surfaces of said supporting bars, said escutcheons being aligned in rows transverse to said supporting bars, yokes individual to said escutcheons for securing said escutcheons to said supporting bars, and clamping screws extending between said escutcheons and yokes for bringing them into clamping engagement with said supporting bars, each escutcheon engaging the side surfaces of adjacent supporting bars at the front edges thereof for restraining lateral displacement thereof toward each other, and each yoke engaging the side surfaces of adjacent supporting bars for restraining lateral displacement thereof away from each other.

10. In a diagram board, the combination of a plurality of spaced supporting bars, a plurality of escutcheons for mounting on the front surfaces of said supporting bars, sai escutcheons bein aligned in rows transverse to said supporting bars, individual yokes secured to certain of said escutcheons for clamping said escutcheons to said supporting bars, each yoke engaging adjacent supporting bars and being diagonally disposed when in clamped position, lamp supports secured to certain other escutcheons, means for securing the lamp supports and the respective escutcheons in clamped position on said supporting bars, said lamp supports having engagement with said supporting bars at points aligned substantially transversely across said supporting bars, the diagonal positions of said yokes avoiding interference with each other and with said lamp supports in their transversely aligned points of engagement with said supporting bars.

I 11. In a diagram board, the combination of a plurality of spaced supporting bars, a signal unit for mounting thereon comprising an escutcheon adapted to be mounted on the front surface of said supporting bars, a yoke cooperating with said escutcheon and adapted to engage the rear surface of said supporting bars, a clamping screw for drawing said escutcheon and yoke into clamping engagement with said bars, and a switch symbol movably mounted on said escutcheon on an axis spaced from the axis of said clampin screw and movable to different positions to denote different conditions of a switch in the diagram.

JAMES R. HARRINGTON. 

